Automatic rotary gathering and collating machine



March 19, 1929. w, YQUNG 1,706,340

AUTOMATIC ROTARY GATHERING AND COLLATING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1926 5Sheets-Sheet L March 19; 1929. 5, w, YOUNG 1,706,340

AUTQMATIC ROTARY GATHERING AND GOLLATING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1926 sShets-Sheet 2 March 19, 192 9. w, YOUNG 1,706,340

AUTOMATIC ROTARY GATHERING AND COLLATING MACHINE Filed July 19 1926 5Sheetsfiheet 3 Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES- PATENT. OFFICE.

' GEORGE wrrlnram YOUNG, or nonon x, Lonnom nNGLAm).

AUTOI IIATIC ROTARY GATHERING AND COLLATING MACHINE.

Application filed July 19, 1926, Serial No. 123,458, and in GreatBritain July 22, 1925.

This invention relates to automatic rotary gathering and collatingmachines comprising a rotary framework or carrier adapted to carry pilesof sheets to be gathered and suc- 5 tion'means adapted to pickup the topsheet from each pile and deposit it upon a conveyor ready for transportto a sheet collecting packer.

The present invention has for, its object 10 to provide an improvedmachine of the kind stated wherein the suction means for picking .thesheets from off the piles execute a substantial vertical movement aswell as a lateral movement in transferring the sheets to the conveyors.It is also an object of the mvention to provide a machine of the kindstated which shall be especially adapted for handling folded sheets aswell as single sheets.

Further objects of the invention are the provision of sheet liftingsuction means which automatically adapt themselves to piles of sheets ofvarious heights and the increase of the working capacity of the machineby providing two conveyors with assoclated sheet lifting means to eachrotary carrier.

The improved machine according to th1s invention is characterized bysheet lifting suction devices which in transferring the sheets from therotary carrier to. the conveyor execute a substantial verticalmovemerit. The invention is also characterized by the fact that duringtheir said vertical movement the sheet lifting devices execute a lateralmovement to bring the sheets to a position over the collating conveyor.A further feature of the invention is the provision of support fingerswhich participate in the movement of the sheet lifting suctlon devicesand co-operate therewith ,in holding the sheets during their transitfrom the carrier to the conveyor.

The said lateral movement of the sheet lifting devices may consist of arotation about a vertical axis or alternatlvely may consist of asimplereciprocatory movement in a straight line.

The rotary carrier for the plles of sheets 1s composed preferably "oftwo wheel-like frames arranged at a suitable distance apart upon acommon horizontal shaft, the frames having pivotally suspended frompoints spaced equally around their peripheries sheet carrying cradles.The cradles, each of which comprisesa base with upstandmg ends and meansfor hanging it from the frames, are preferably divided by adjustablepartitions or equivalent means into compartments suitable for containingthe piles of sheets to be gathered and collated. t

The invention is hereinafter more fully described with. reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a preferred form of construction of myimproved machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan,'and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

Referring to, the drawings it will be seen that in the machineillustrated the rotary carrier comprises wheel-like frames 0; coaxiallyarranged upon a shaft a and provided near the periphery with equallyspaced pivots or bearings a from which the sheet carrying cradles b are'pivotally suspended,

these latter being if required divided into compartments for thedifferent piles of sheets to. be carried. A drive shaft 0 extendingacross one end of the machine and provided with fast and loose pulleys0', 0 or other suitable control means, is operatively connected, asthrough the worm and worm wheel mechanism 0 c with the rotary carrier.

Along either side of the rotary carrier there is provided an endlessband conveyor (1 driven by chain and sprocket d or the like from thedrive shaft 0. These conveyors serve to receive the sheets from thesuction devices and to convey them in the required sequence to thepackers hereinafter described. The suction devices e for lifting thesheets from the piles on the cradles b are in this construction carriedby armsprojecting from vertical rods 7 hereinafter referred to assucbetween the conveyors d and the rotary carrier of the machine and arearranged to slide andturn in-their hearings to. impart. the requiredmovements to the suction devices 6.

p In order to obtain the required rising and falling movements of thecolumns f they are linked near their lower ends to levers g whichareacted' upon by quick lifting cams 9 carried upon shafts 9 locatedbeneath the conveyors d. v I

These shafts g are operatively connected by suitable mechanism, such asthe bevel earing shown at g, with the drive shaft a.- soillatory motionin a circular ath is imparted to the columns f by levers g which embraceshafts k at the rear of the machine, and

these latter are connected in turn through levers k and links h* toforked slides h embracing the rear ends of the shafts g and oscillatedby cams g keyed thereon. The columns 7 may conveniently be hollow andconnected at their upper extermities by flexible tubes f to the means(not shown) for creating the suction so that they may serve as conduitsfor conveying the suction eflects to the sheet lifting devices 6.

The timing of these driving mechanisms is so arranged that when thecradles I) arrive at a suitable point adjacent one of the conveyor bandsal the associated sheet lifting devices 6 are first lifted, then swungoutwardly over the piles of sheets in the cradle and dropped to that thetop sheet of each pileis engaged by a suction device e. The suctioneffect is then applied to the several sheet lifting devices by theoperation of a mechanically actuated control valve (not shown) whereuponall the lifting devices are raised by the action of the cams g and swungaround by the action of the cams g to positions over the conveyor bandd. On withdrawing the suction eflect from' the sheet lifting devices 6the sheets now fall on the conveyor band and are carried in definiteorder to a sheet packing rack i'at the discharge end of the conveyor,sufficient space being provided at the discharge end of the conveyor toenable an operator to overlook and check the collation of the sheets asthey pass. Provision may be made for dropping all thesucked up sheetssimultanenously on to the conveyor or the sheets may be dropped insuccession as the conveyor travels along.

In order to prevent accidental displacement of the sheets from thelifting devices or the loss of any loose contents within the sheetsduring their transit from the cradles to the conveyors, this inventionprovides sheet supporting fingers 7' adapted to cooperate with thelifting devices in holding the sheets. These fingers j are pivotally'mounted upon the columns 7 at points just below the sheet liftingsuction devices 6 and are provided with tail levers la carrying rollersl which are adapted toco-operate with helical cam surfaces 0 secured tosquare-section bars 12, mounted to slide vertically, and arrangedparallel with and to one side ofthe suction" columns 7. The bars p areprovided at their upper ends with pins or stops 3) between.

. which arms 9 are arranged to operate, which arms are secured to shafts1' journalled horizontally in boa-rings 1'' above the sheet liftingsuction devices '6. At each end of the shafts r are secured arms rcarrying rollers conveyor.

weaned 1' arranged to co-operate with cams 8 provided on the peripheryof the wheel-like frames at of the rotary carrier.

The action of the cams 8 upon the arms r due to the' rotation ofthecarrier, rocks the shaft 1' in its bearin s and the bars 12 arealternately raised and lowered by the arms 9 which engage with the upperset or the lower set, respectively of'the pins p secured to the saidbars.

The lowering of the bars p brings the helical cam surfaces 0 thereoninto such a position that the rollers Z will run over the said camsurfaces during the upward vertical movement of the suction columns Thismovement of the columns 7 therefore causes the supporting fingers j toswing to a position beneath the suction devices 6 against the action ofcoil springs m arranged on the columns 7, which springs tend to maintainthe fingers in their inoperative position against stops a secured to thecolumns f.

The cams s are so disposed around'the periphery of the rotary carrierthat the downward movement of the bars p coincides with the downwardmovement of the suction columns f, so that, when the suction deviceshave sucked up-the top sheets of the piles carried on the cradles b andbegin to rise, the supporting fingers j will be swung in beneath thesaid suction devices and co-operate therewith to hold the sheets inosition.

The supporting 'ngers remain in their operative position, by reason ofthehelical cam surfaces 0, until the suction devices e are over theconveyors d, whereupon the said cam surfaces are raised'by' the arms 9thus disengagingxthe rollers Z and allowing the return of the fingers jto their inoperative position under the action of the springs m, whilethe sheets are allowed to fall to the conveyor.

The provision of these sheet supporting fingers renders the machine moreefficient especially when dealing with folded, sheets which ifunsupported from below tend to fall open and become detached from thesuction devices, or allow the escape of any loose contents within thefolded sheets.

As will be readily understood the duplicating of the conveyor and sheettransferring means greatly increases the capacity of the machine.

prising a rotary carrier, cradles carried by the carrier, a conveyor,and a vertically and laterally movable sheet lifting suction device totransfer the sheets, fromthe cradles to the 2. -A gathering andcollating machine as claimed in claim 1 including alsomeans to preventcasual displacement of the sheets during their transfer. H i

3. A gathering and collating machine as claimed claim 1 in which sheetlifting means and collating conveyors are provided on opposite sides ofthe carrier so that said carrier is common thereto.

4. A gathering and collacting machine as claimed in claim 1 in whichsheet lifting means and collating conveyors are provided on oppositesides of the rotary carrier and a common driving shaft and drivingmechanism are provided for the sheet lifting and 10 transfer means, thecarrier and the conveyors.

5. A gathering and collating machine as claimed in claim 1, includingsupport fingers which participate in the movement of the sheet liftingsuction devices and cooperate therewith in holding the sheets againstdisplacement during their transit from the carrier to the conveyor.

In testimony whereof he has afiixed his signature.

GEORGE WILLIAM YOUNG.

